EP3495894B1 - Method for manufacturing a clock component - Google Patents

Method for manufacturing a clock component Download PDF

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Publication number
EP3495894B1
EP3495894B1 EP17205320.9A EP17205320A EP3495894B1 EP 3495894 B1 EP3495894 B1 EP 3495894B1 EP 17205320 A EP17205320 A EP 17205320A EP 3495894 B1 EP3495894 B1 EP 3495894B1
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EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
wafer
component
manufacturing
slice
timepiece component
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
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Application number
EP17205320.9A
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German (de)
French (fr)
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EP3495894A1 (en
Inventor
Richard Bossart
Nima Merk
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Rolex SA
Original Assignee
Rolex SA
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Publication date
Application filed by Rolex SA filed Critical Rolex SA
Priority to EP17205320.9A priority Critical patent/EP3495894B1/en
Priority to US16/202,284 priority patent/US11429065B2/en
Priority to JP2018224857A priority patent/JP7393120B2/en
Priority to CN201811474412.3A priority patent/CN109870891B/en
Publication of EP3495894A1 publication Critical patent/EP3495894A1/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP3495894B1 publication Critical patent/EP3495894B1/en
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Classifications

    • G—PHYSICS
    • G04—HOROLOGY
    • G04B—MECHANICALLY-DRIVEN CLOCKS OR WATCHES; MECHANICAL PARTS OF CLOCKS OR WATCHES IN GENERAL; TIME PIECES USING THE POSITION OF THE SUN, MOON OR STARS
    • G04B19/00—Indicating the time by visual means
    • G04B19/04—Hands; Discs with a single mark or the like
    • G04B19/042—Construction and manufacture of the hands; arrangements for increasing reading accuracy
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G04—HOROLOGY
    • G04B—MECHANICALLY-DRIVEN CLOCKS OR WATCHES; MECHANICAL PARTS OF CLOCKS OR WATCHES IN GENERAL; TIME PIECES USING THE POSITION OF THE SUN, MOON OR STARS
    • G04B13/00—Gearwork
    • G04B13/02—Wheels; Pinions; Spindles; Pivots
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G04—HOROLOGY
    • G04B—MECHANICALLY-DRIVEN CLOCKS OR WATCHES; MECHANICAL PARTS OF CLOCKS OR WATCHES IN GENERAL; TIME PIECES USING THE POSITION OF THE SUN, MOON OR STARS
    • G04B15/00—Escapements
    • G04B15/14—Component parts or constructional details, e.g. construction of the lever or the escape wheel
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G04—HOROLOGY
    • G04B—MECHANICALLY-DRIVEN CLOCKS OR WATCHES; MECHANICAL PARTS OF CLOCKS OR WATCHES IN GENERAL; TIME PIECES USING THE POSITION OF THE SUN, MOON OR STARS
    • G04B17/00—Mechanisms for stabilising frequency
    • G04B17/04—Oscillators acting by spring tension
    • G04B17/06—Oscillators with hairsprings, e.g. balance
    • G04B17/066—Manufacture of the spiral spring

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a watch component made from a micro-machinable material.
  • Such a prior art manufacturing process comprises a first step E1 ( picture 1a ) consisting in providing a plate 1 which is called by its English name "wafer", consisting of a first plate 2 of micro-machinable material, for example silicon, the thickness of which corresponds to that of the final component, of the order of 10 to 200 microns, and intended to be worked to form the component.
  • This first wafer 2 is assembled with a second wafer 4, with a thickness of the order of 0.5 mm, intended to serve as a support and being presented for example likewise in silicon, by means of an intermediate layer 3 of silicon oxide.
  • Such a wafer 1 is generally referred to as an “SOI wafer” for “silicon on insulator wafer”.
  • SOI wafer silicon on insulator wafer
  • the manufacturing process then comprises a step consisting in adding a mask to the visible face of the wafer 1, via the deposition (step E2, figure 1b ) of a layer of resin 5, in which free areas 6 are formed (step E3, figure 1c ) by partial removal of the resist using photolithography techniques.
  • a wafer a wafer or an assembly of wafers, and/or optionally comprising additional layers, used in a manufacturing process comprising at least one etching, from a masking step corresponding to step E2.
  • This wafer comprises two faces: the visible face, which we will also call the upper surface by convention, which will be etched, and the lower face.
  • the mask formed in the previous step then allows the formation of at least one watch component, by etching (step E4, figure 1d ) of the first wafer 2 of the wafer 1 in the free zones 6 of resin.
  • the component(s) is/are thus formed according to a geometry determined by the mask formed previously.
  • step E5 the remaining resin is removed (step E5, figure 1e ), then the at least one timepiece component 9, illustrated by the figure 1f , is obtained by separating the first wafer 2 from the second wafer 4 through a release step E6.
  • This release step therefore has the effect of separating the watch component(s), engraved in the first wafer 2, from the intermediate layer 3, but also from the micro-machinable material of which the second wafer 4 is made.
  • This release step E6 is a complex step. It can be achieved by complete dissolution of the material of the intermediate layer 3 from the upper face of the wafer 1, more precisely from the etchings 7 made in the first wafer 2 of the wafer 1, which has the disadvantage of a very long stage.
  • the release step E6 is long and requires complex manufacturing equipment, which represents a major drawback of the solution of the state of the art.
  • An object of the present invention is to provide a method of manufacturing a watch component which improves the method of the state of the art.
  • the object of the present invention is to propose a simplified method of manufacturing a watch component.
  • the invention is based on a method of manufacturing a watch component, as defined in claim 1.
  • the method of manufacturing a watch component is improved in that it greatly simplifies the end of the method of the state of the art, by simplifying, or even eliminating the step of E6 release described previously.
  • the adjective superior to designate a surface on the side of the face of a wafer which will undergo the first etching, and the adjective inferior for a surface on an opposite side.
  • the picture 2 represents a method of manufacturing a timepiece component according to a first embodiment of the invention.
  • such a manufacturing process comprises a first step E11 ( figure 2a ) consisting in providing a wafer 11 of micro-machinable material, for example silicon.
  • a wafer comprises a single wafer 12 intended to be worked to form the timepiece component.
  • This single wafer 12 preferably has a thickness greater than or equal to 100 microns, or even greater than or equal to 120 microns. This thickness may in particular be between 100 or 120 microns and 300 microns, or even up to 500 microns.
  • the manufacturing process then comprises a step consisting in adding a mask to the upper surface of the wafer 11, via the deposition (step E12, figure 2b ) of a layer of resin 15, in which free areas 16 are formed (step E13, figure 2c ) by partial removal of the resist using photolithography techniques.
  • the mask formed in the previous step then allows the formation of at least one watch component, by etching (step E14, 2d figure ) of the wafer 11 through the free areas 16 of the resin mask.
  • the component(s) is/are thus formed according to a geometry determined by the mask formed previously.
  • clips are provided to hold the component(s) attached to the wafer 11.
  • step E15, figure 2f the remaining resin is removed by dissolving, in a revealing step (step E15, figure 2f ) which makes it possible to directly obtain the machined wafer 12 comprising the watchmaker component(s) 19.
  • Steps E12 to E15 substantially correspond to steps E2 to E5 of the prior art solution, and are therefore not described in detail.
  • the etching is carried out in a conventional manner, by photolithography and DRIE.
  • the great advantage of this first embodiment of the invention is to have eliminated the second support wafer of the wafer, which makes it possible to eliminate the tedious step of release E6 of the state of the art by dissolving the layer intermediate 3.
  • the wafer 11 made of micro-machinable material could come in several superimposed layers, and/or in several materials.
  • the important characteristic of the embodiment is that the wafer does not include any layer whose function is limited to forming a support and that it is etched in its entire thickness.
  • the watch component obtained has a maximum final thickness substantially equal to the thickness of the wafer 11 used, that is to say the thickness of the wafer 12.
  • the embodiment described above makes it possible to greatly simplify the method of manufacturing a timepiece component. It is mainly based on the elimination of any support in a wafer 11 of micro-machinable material, and on the unexpected finding that it is possible to manufacture a watch component from a wafer that does not include a support.
  • the picture 3 represents a method of manufacturing a timepiece component according to a second embodiment of the invention.
  • Such a manufacturing method comprises a first step E21 ( picture 3a ) consisting in providing a wafer 21 comprising a micro-machinable material, for example silicon.
  • a wafer 21 comprises a wafer 22 of micro-machinable material, which corresponds to the material of the watch component, with a thickness greater than or equal to 100 microns, or even greater than or equal to 120 microns, intended to be worked to form the watch component.
  • the wafer 21 further comprises a lower layer 24, preferably metallic.
  • this second embodiment comprises a preliminary step, not shown, consisting in depositing or assembling a lower metal layer 24 to a wafer 22 of micro-machinable material, to form the wafer 21.
  • this preliminary step consists in coating a surface of a wafer in micro-machinable material with a layer of metal deposited by a technique of physical vapor deposition, also called by its acronym PVD (for “Physical Vapor Deposition”).
  • PVD Physical Vapor Deposition
  • a metallic lower layer can be a layer of pure aluminum of 2 microns.
  • such a lower layer can have any other thickness, preferably between 0.5 and 5 microns inclusive.
  • any technique for depositing a pure metal and/or an alloy can be used to coat the lower surface of the wafer in micro-machinable material with a metal layer.
  • the metal deposited is aluminum, gold or platinum.
  • any other technique for depositing or assembling a metallic lower layer forming a coating on the surface of the wafer in micro-machinable material can be used (e.g. electrolytic growth, chemical vapor deposition, bonding of a sheet ).
  • the manufacturing process then comprises a step consisting in adding a mask to the upper surface of the wafer 21, via the deposition (step E22, figure 3b ) of a layer of resin 25, in which free areas 26 are formed (step E23, figure 3c ) by partial removal of the resist using photolithography techniques.
  • the mask formed in the previous step then allows the formation of at least one watch component, by etching (step E24, 3d figure ) of the wafer 21 through the free zones 26 of the resin mask.
  • the component(s) is/are thus formed according to a geometry determined by the mask formed previously.
  • Step E25 substantially correspond to steps E2 to E5 and E12 to E15.
  • the method according to this second embodiment then comprises a release step E26 ( figure 3f ), which consists in removing the lower layer 24 of metal.
  • This E26 release step is very simple and quick: it is carried out by dissolving the metal, for example in an aluminum etching acid bath (mixture of HNO3, H3PO4, CH3COOH, H2O).
  • the composition of the bath must be adapted to the metal constituting the lower layer to allow its dissolution, in a manner known to those skilled in the art.
  • the material of the lower layer is completely dissolved.
  • the second lower silicon wafer 4 then separates from the upper wafer carrying the components.
  • this second embodiment also remains very simple, since the final separation of the timepiece component 29, by the elimination of manufacturing residues such as the resin and the lower layer, which is presented as a metal support layer according to a mode of realization, comprises a release step E26 greatly simplified compared to the method of the state of the art which uses a support consisting of two parts, one of which corresponds to the material of the component, and which therefore cannot be dissolved chemically without having previously protected the components etched in the first wafer by an additional layer.
  • the second embodiment described above makes it possible to greatly simplify the method of manufacturing a timepiece component. It is based on the use of a metal support for a wafer made of a micro-machinable material, and on the unexpected observation that it is possible to manufacture a watch component from a wafer comprising a single wafer of material micro-machinable and a thin metal bottom layer, much more thin than the support of the state of the art also made of micro-machinable material.
  • the person skilled in the art would have had a negative prejudice on such a solution, considering in particular that the metal would diffuse within the micro-machinable material by modifying its properties.
  • a person skilled in the art would also have a negative prejudice on the feasibility of this manufacturing process, since processing equipment is generally designed for wafers of a certain rigidity to ensure precision and robustness.
  • This second embodiment has been described on the basis of a lower metal layer.
  • a layer of silicon oxide SiO 2 or of polymer for example a polymer film of poly-p-xylylene better known under the name of parylene, on the lower face of the wafer of micro-machinable material, which in particular performs the same stiffening function as a metal layer.
  • the release step E26 will simply consist of a dissolution of the layer of SiO 2 or polymer by means of acids such as mixtures based on hydrofluoric acid or by oxygen plasma treatment.
  • the concept implemented in the two embodiments of the invention described above consists in proposing a method for manufacturing a watch component which does away with the step of releasing a support made of micro-machinable material. complex and time-consuming, avoiding the use of a micro-machinable material as support.
  • the entire thickness of the micro-machinable material present in the wafer is used to form the watch component, with no support function. It therefore does not include a wafer of micro-machinable material used solely for the support function: the single wafer of micro-machinable material present within the wafer 11, 21 is intended for the formation of at least one watch component by engraving.
  • the method does not include etching of micro-machinable material via the lower face of the wafer to facilitate the release step E6, but only etching via the upper face.
  • the watch component obtained preferably has a maximum thickness corresponding substantially to the thickness of the whole of the micro-machinable material (corresponding to the sum of the thickness of all the layers of micro-machinable material in the case of a wafer multilayer) initially present in the wafer used to manufacture it.
  • the process for manufacturing a watch component can also comprise additional processing steps, carried out before or after releasing the component from the resin and/or from the metal support, such as thinning the wafer of micro-material material. machining surface or component, mechanical or laser beam recovery, coating deposition, oxidation heat treatment, cleaning/degreasing, etc.
  • the method of the invention applies to the manufacture of a multitude of watch components.
  • the horological component can be an entity ready to be mounted in a movement (for example a lever, a spring, etc.) or a part intended to be assembled with one or more other parts of the movement (for example a hairspring with the balance shaft, a wheel plate with its shaft, an anchor with the anchor rod (or shaft), a balance wheel to the balance shaft, etc.).
  • the timepiece component can be an exterior component, such as a hand. This process is particularly suited to the manufacture of simple 2.5D (two and a half dimensions) watch components, with a thickness greater than or equal to 100 ⁇ m.
  • the second embodiment will be preferred for the most fragile components, with fine structures, at risk of being damaged, or the most flexible, at risk of deforming during the etching step, such as spiral springs or even the most thin, in particular with a thickness of less than 100 microns.
  • the first embodiment will be preferred for less fragile components, in particular more massive, such as wheels as well as for components with a thickness strictly greater than 100 ⁇ m.
  • the two embodiments remain suitable for the manufacture of all these timepiece components.
  • the deposited layer which serves as a mask for etching is made of a photosensitive resin.
  • This layer of photosensitive resin can be substituted by any other layer which can serve as a mask against a DRIE type attack, for example a layer of silicon oxide, silicon nitride, metal, etc.
  • the person skilled in the art will choose the appropriate layer to suit his needs.
  • micro-machinable material any material suitable for micro-machining, including in particular any material which can be etched directionally through a mask.
  • micro-machining all the techniques making it possible to produce structures of micrometric size in a material through a mask, such as for example chemical attacks or photolithography.
  • the micro-machinable material used in the embodiments described above is silicon, but can be substituted by doped silicon, porous silicon, etc.... Others micro-machinable materials could of course be used, such as diamond, quartz, sapphire and ceramic. It can also be a hybrid material.
  • the micro-machinable material can also be any micro-structurable material, sufficiently rigid to be able to be manipulated.
  • the invention is more generally suitable for the manufacture of a timepiece component consisting of or comprising a material called “component material” which can be cut through a mask.
  • component material will be worked from a wafer with a thickness greater than or equal to 100 ⁇ m, arranged within a wafer, as explained in the embodiments described, or more generally in a wafer comprising a layer comprising one or more material(s) of the component, the entire thickness of which, preferably greater than or equal to 100 ⁇ m, will be etched to form the component.
  • such a wafer may optionally include a support in another material, in particular a metal or a metal alloy, called support material, different from the material of the component and compatible with it, that is to say not being affected during the etching of the material of the component, as implemented in the etching steps E14, E24 described previously.
  • the thickness of any support is very small, less than or equal to 10 ⁇ m, or even less than or equal to 5 ⁇ m, or even less than or equal to 3 ⁇ m.
  • this thickness is preferably greater than or equal to 0.5 ⁇ m. This thickness is therefore considered to be negligible relative to the thickness of the wafer made of component material, of the wafer, and of the manufactured timepiece component.

Description

La présente invention concerne un procédé de fabrication d'un composant horloger réalisé à partir d'un matériau micro-usinable.The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a watch component made from a micro-machinable material.

Il est connu de fabriquer des composants horlogers à partir d'un matériau micro-usinable tel que le silicium et par des techniques de micro-usinage, notamment par gravure sèche, par exemple par gravure ionique réactive profonde (en anglais Deep Reactive Ion Etching DRIE) ou par gravure chimique humide (en anglais chemical wet etching). On connaît par exemple la demande EP0732635 A1 .It is known to manufacture watch components from a micro-machinable material such as silicon and by micro-machining techniques, in particular by dry etching, for example by deep reactive ion etching (in English Deep Reactive Ion Etching DRIE ) or by wet chemical etching . For example, we know the demand EP0732635 A1 .

Un tel procédé de fabrication de l'état de la technique, représenté par la figure 1, comprend une première étape E1 (figure 1a) consistant à se munir d'une plaque 1 qui est appelée par sa dénomination anglaise « wafer », constituée d'une première plaquette 2 en matériau micro-usinable, par exemple en silicium, dont l'épaisseur correspond à celle du composant final, de l'ordre de 10 à 200 microns, et destinée à être travaillée pour former le composant. Cette première plaquette 2 est assemblée à une seconde plaquette 4, d'épaisseur de l'ordre de 0,5 mm, destinée à servir de support et se présentant par exemple de même en silicium, par l'intermédiaire d'une couche intermédiaire 3 d'oxyde de silicium. Un tel wafer 1 est généralement dénommé «wafer SOI » pour « wafer silicon on insulator ». La seconde plaquette 4 et la couche intermédiaire 3 forment ainsi un support, qui permet la rigidification de l'ensemble du wafer 1, sa manutention sans risque, ainsi que sa manipulation facile lors de la fabrication du composant horloger.Such a prior art manufacturing process, represented by the figure 1 , comprises a first step E1 ( picture 1a ) consisting in providing a plate 1 which is called by its English name "wafer", consisting of a first plate 2 of micro-machinable material, for example silicon, the thickness of which corresponds to that of the final component, of the order of 10 to 200 microns, and intended to be worked to form the component. This first wafer 2 is assembled with a second wafer 4, with a thickness of the order of 0.5 mm, intended to serve as a support and being presented for example likewise in silicon, by means of an intermediate layer 3 of silicon oxide. Such a wafer 1 is generally referred to as an “SOI wafer” for “silicon on insulator wafer”. The second wafer 4 and the intermediate layer 3 thus form a support, which allows the stiffening of the whole of the wafer 1, its handling without risk, as well as its easy handling during the manufacture of the watch component.

Le procédé de fabrication comprend ensuite une étape consistant à ajouter un masque sur la face apparente du wafer 1, par l'intermédiaire du dépôt (étape E2, figure 1b) d'une couche de résine 5, dans laquelle des zones libres 6 sont formées (étape E3, figure 1c) par suppression partielle de la résine au moyen de techniques de photolithographie. En remarque, nous désignerons par le terme général de « wafer » une plaquette ou un assemblage de plaquettes, et/ou comprenant éventuellement des couches supplémentaires, utilisé dans un procédé de fabrication comprenant au moins une gravure, à partir d'une étape de masquage correspondant à l'étape E2. Ce wafer comprend deux faces : la face apparente, que nous appellerons aussi surface supérieure par convention, qui sera gravée, et la face inférieure.The manufacturing process then comprises a step consisting in adding a mask to the visible face of the wafer 1, via the deposition (step E2, figure 1b ) of a layer of resin 5, in which free areas 6 are formed (step E3, figure 1c ) by partial removal of the resist using photolithography techniques. As a side note, we will designate by the general term “wafer” a wafer or an assembly of wafers, and/or optionally comprising additional layers, used in a manufacturing process comprising at least one etching, from a masking step corresponding to step E2. This wafer comprises two faces: the visible face, which we will also call the upper surface by convention, which will be etched, and the lower face.

Le masque formé à l'étape précédente permet ensuite la formation d'au moins un composant horloger, par gravure (étape E4, figure 1d) de la première plaquette 2 du wafer 1 dans les zones libres 6 de résine. Le(s) composant(s) est/sont ainsi formé(s) selon une géométrie déterminée par le masque formé précédemment.The mask formed in the previous step then allows the formation of at least one watch component, by etching (step E4, figure 1d ) of the first wafer 2 of the wafer 1 in the free zones 6 of resin. The component(s) is/are thus formed according to a geometry determined by the mask formed previously.

Enfin, la résine restante est retirée (étape E5, figure 1e), puis l'au moins un composant horloger 9, illustré par la figure 1f, est obtenu par la séparation de la première plaquette 2 de la deuxième plaquette 4 par le biais d'une étape de libération E6. Cette étape de libération a donc pour effet de séparer le ou les composants horlogers, gravés dans la première plaquette 2, de la couche intermédiaire 3, mais également du matériau micro-usinable dont la deuxième plaquette 4 est constituée. Cette étape de libération E6 est une étape complexe. Elle peut être réalisée par une dissolution complète du matériau de la couche intermédiaire 3 à partir de la face supérieure du wafer 1, plus précisément à partir des gravures 7 réalisées dans la première plaquette 2 du wafer 1, ce qui présente l'inconvénient d'une durée d'étape très longue. En variante, il est possible de dégager sélectivement, à partir de la face inférieure du wafer 1 et dans la deuxième plaquette 4, les espaces situés en dessous des composants horlogers formés, par des étapes de fabrication similaires aux étapes E2 à E5 décrites précédemment réalisées sur le wafer retourné, de manière à rendre la couche intermédiaire 3 plus accessible et à en accélérer la dissolution. Dans tous les cas, l'étape de libération E6 est longue et exige des équipements de fabrication complexes, ce qui représente un inconvénient important de la solution de l'état de la technique.Finally, the remaining resin is removed (step E5, figure 1e ), then the at least one timepiece component 9, illustrated by the figure 1f , is obtained by separating the first wafer 2 from the second wafer 4 through a release step E6. This release step therefore has the effect of separating the watch component(s), engraved in the first wafer 2, from the intermediate layer 3, but also from the micro-machinable material of which the second wafer 4 is made. This release step E6 is a complex step. It can be achieved by complete dissolution of the material of the intermediate layer 3 from the upper face of the wafer 1, more precisely from the etchings 7 made in the first wafer 2 of the wafer 1, which has the disadvantage of a very long stage. As a variant, it is possible to selectively release, from the lower face of the wafer 1 and in the second wafer 4, the spaces located below the watch components formed, by manufacturing steps similar to the steps E2 to E5 described previously carried out on the returned wafer, so as to make the intermediate layer 3 more accessible and to accelerate its dissolution. In all cases, the release step E6 is long and requires complex manufacturing equipment, which represents a major drawback of the solution of the state of the art.

Un objet de la présente invention est de proposer un procédé de fabrication d'un composant horloger qui améliore le procédé de l'état de la technique.An object of the present invention is to provide a method of manufacturing a watch component which improves the method of the state of the art.

Plus particulièrement, l'objet de la présente invention est de proposer un procédé de fabrication simplifié d'un composant horloger.More particularly, the object of the present invention is to propose a simplified method of manufacturing a watch component.

A cet effet, l'invention repose sur un procédé de fabrication d'un composant horloger, tel que défini dans la revendication 1.To this end, the invention is based on a method of manufacturing a watch component, as defined in claim 1.

L'invention est plus précisément définie par les revendications.The invention is more precisely defined by the claims.

Ces objets, caractéristiques et avantages de la présente invention seront exposés en détail dans la description suivante de modes de réalisation particuliers faits à titre non-limitatif en relation avec les figures jointes parmi lesquelles :

  • La figure 1 représente schématiquement les étapes de fabrication d'un composant horloger selon l'état de la technique.
  • Chaque figure 1a à 1f représente plus précisément une étape de la fabrication selon l'état de la technique.
  • La figure 2 représente schématiquement les étapes de fabrication d'un composant horloger selon un premier mode de réalisation de l'invention.
  • Chaque figure 2a à 2d et 2f représente plus précisément une étape de la fabrication selon le premier mode de réalisation de l'invention.
  • La figure 3 représente schématiquement les étapes de fabrication d'un composant horloger selon un deuxième mode de réalisation de l'invention.
  • Chaque figure 3a à 3f représente plus précisément une étape de la fabrication selon le deuxième mode de réalisation de l'invention.
These objects, characteristics and advantages of the present invention will be explained in detail in the following description of particular embodiments made on a non-limiting basis in relation to the attached figures, among which:
  • The figure 1 schematically represents the manufacturing steps of a watch component according to the state of the art.
  • Each figure 1a to 1f more precisely represents a manufacturing step according to the state of the art.
  • The picture 2 schematically represents the manufacturing steps of a timepiece component according to a first embodiment of the invention.
  • Each figure 2a to 2d and 2f more precisely represents a manufacturing step according to the first embodiment of the invention.
  • The picture 3 schematically represents the manufacturing steps of a timepiece component according to a second embodiment of the invention.
  • Each figure 3a to 3f more precisely represents a manufacturing step according to the second embodiment of the invention.

Selon les modes de réalisation de l'invention, le procédé de fabrication d'un composant horloger est amélioré en ce qu'il simplifie fortement la fin du procédé de l'état de la technique, en simplifiant, voire en supprimant l'étape de libération E6 décrite précédemment. Par convention, comme mentionné précédemment, nous utiliserons l'adjectif supérieur pour désigner une surface du côté de la face d'un wafer qui va subir la première gravure, et l'adjectif inférieur pour une surface d'un côté opposé.According to the embodiments of the invention, the method of manufacturing a watch component is improved in that it greatly simplifies the end of the method of the state of the art, by simplifying, or even eliminating the step of E6 release described previously. By convention, as mentioned previously, we will use the adjective superior to designate a surface on the side of the face of a wafer which will undergo the first etching, and the adjective inferior for a surface on an opposite side.

La figure 2 représente un procédé de fabrication d'un composant horloger selon un premier mode de réalisation de l'invention.The picture 2 represents a method of manufacturing a timepiece component according to a first embodiment of the invention.

A l'instar du procédé de l'état de l'art décrit plus haut, un tel procédé de fabrication comprend une première étape E11 (figure 2a) consistant à se munir d'un wafer 11 en matériau micro-usinable, par exemple en silicium. Selon ce mode de réalisation, un tel wafer comprend une seule plaquette 12 destinée à être travaillée pour former le composant horloger. Cette plaquette 12 unique présente de préférence une épaisseur supérieure ou égale à 100 microns, voire supérieure ou égale à 120 microns. Cette épaisseur peut notamment être comprise entre 100 ou 120 microns et 300 microns, voire même jusqu'à 500 microns.Like the process of the state of the art described above, such a manufacturing process comprises a first step E11 ( figure 2a ) consisting in providing a wafer 11 of micro-machinable material, for example silicon. According to this embodiment, such a wafer comprises a single wafer 12 intended to be worked to form the timepiece component. This single wafer 12 preferably has a thickness greater than or equal to 100 microns, or even greater than or equal to 120 microns. This thickness may in particular be between 100 or 120 microns and 300 microns, or even up to 500 microns.

Le procédé de fabrication comprend ensuite une étape consistant à ajouter un masque sur la surface supérieure du wafer 11, par l'intermédiaire du dépôt (étape E12, figure 2b) d'une couche de résine 15, dans laquelle des zones libres 16 sont formées (étape E13, figure 2c) par suppression partielle de la résine au moyen de techniques de photolithographie.The manufacturing process then comprises a step consisting in adding a mask to the upper surface of the wafer 11, via the deposition (step E12, figure 2b ) of a layer of resin 15, in which free areas 16 are formed (step E13, figure 2c ) by partial removal of the resist using photolithography techniques.

Le masque formé à l'étape précédente permet ensuite la formation d'au moins un composant horloger, par gravure (étape E14, figure 2d) du wafer 11 au travers des zones libres 16 du masque de résine. Le(s) composant(s) est/sont ainsi formé(s) selon une géométrie déterminée par le masque formé précédemment. De préférence, des attaches sont prévues pour maintenir le(s) composant(s) rattachés au wafer 11.The mask formed in the previous step then allows the formation of at least one watch component, by etching (step E14, 2d figure ) of the wafer 11 through the free areas 16 of the resin mask. The component(s) is/are thus formed according to a geometry determined by the mask formed previously. Preferably, clips are provided to hold the component(s) attached to the wafer 11.

Enfin, la résine restante est supprimée par dissolution, dans une étape de révélation (étape E15, figure 2f) qui permet d'obtenir directement la plaquette 12 usinée comportant le(s) composant(s) horloger(s) 19.Finally, the remaining resin is removed by dissolving, in a revealing step (step E15, figure 2f ) which makes it possible to directly obtain the machined wafer 12 comprising the watchmaker component(s) 19.

Les étapes E12 à E15 correspondent sensiblement aux étapes E2 à E5 de la solution de l'état de la technique, et ne sont donc pas décrites en détail.Steps E12 to E15 substantially correspond to steps E2 to E5 of the prior art solution, and are therefore not described in detail.

Notamment, la gravure est réalisée de manière conventionnelle, par photolithographie et DRIE. Le grand avantage de ce premier mode de réalisation de l'invention est d'avoir supprimé la deuxième plaquette de support du wafer, ce qui permet de supprimer l'étape fastidieuse de libération E6 de l'état de la technique par dissolution de la couche intermédiaire 3.In particular, the etching is carried out in a conventional manner, by photolithography and DRIE. The great advantage of this first embodiment of the invention is to have eliminated the second support wafer of the wafer, which makes it possible to eliminate the tedious step of release E6 of the state of the art by dissolving the layer intermediate 3.

En variante, le wafer 11 en matériau micro-usinable pourrait se présenter en plusieurs couches superposées, et/ou en plusieurs matériaux. La caractéristique importante du mode de réalisation est que le wafer ne comprend aucune couche dont la fonction se limite à former un support et qu'il est gravé dans toute son épaisseur. Autrement dit, le composant horloger obtenu présente une épaisseur finale maximale sensiblement égale à l'épaisseur du wafer 11 utilisé, c'est-à-dire à l'épaisseur de la plaquette 12.As a variant, the wafer 11 made of micro-machinable material could come in several superimposed layers, and/or in several materials. The important characteristic of the embodiment is that the wafer does not include any layer whose function is limited to forming a support and that it is etched in its entire thickness. In other words, the watch component obtained has a maximum final thickness substantially equal to the thickness of the wafer 11 used, that is to say the thickness of the wafer 12.

Ainsi, le mode de réalisation décrit ci-dessus permet bien de simplifier fortement le procédé de fabrication d'un composant horloger. Il repose principalement sur la suppression de tout support dans un wafer 11 en matériau micro-usinable, et sur la constatation inattendue qu'il est possible de fabriquer un composant horloger à partir d'une plaquette ne comprenant pas de support.Thus, the embodiment described above makes it possible to greatly simplify the method of manufacturing a timepiece component. It is mainly based on the elimination of any support in a wafer 11 of micro-machinable material, and on the unexpected finding that it is possible to manufacture a watch component from a wafer that does not include a support.

La figure 3 représente un procédé de fabrication d'un composant horloger selon un deuxième mode de réalisation de l'invention.The picture 3 represents a method of manufacturing a timepiece component according to a second embodiment of the invention.

Un tel procédé de fabrication comprend une première étape E21 (figure 3a) consistant à se munir d'un wafer 21 comprenant un matériau micro-usinable, par exemple du silicium. Selon ce deuxième mode de réalisation, un tel wafer 21 comprend une plaquette 22 en matériau micro-usinable, qui correspond au matériau du composant horloger, d'une épaisseur supérieure ou égale à 100 microns, voire supérieure ou égale à 120 microns, destinée à être travaillée pour former le composant horloger. Le wafer 21 comprend de plus une couche inférieure 24, de préférence métallique.Such a manufacturing method comprises a first step E21 ( picture 3a ) consisting in providing a wafer 21 comprising a micro-machinable material, for example silicon. According to this second embodiment, such a wafer 21 comprises a wafer 22 of micro-machinable material, which corresponds to the material of the watch component, with a thickness greater than or equal to 100 microns, or even greater than or equal to 120 microns, intended to be worked to form the watch component. The wafer 21 further comprises a lower layer 24, preferably metallic.

Ainsi, ce deuxième mode de réalisation comprend une étape préalable non représentée, consistant à déposer ou assembler une couche inférieure 24 métallique à une plaquette 22 en matériau micro-usinable, pour former le wafer 21. Selon un premier mode de réalisation, cette étape préalable consiste à revêtir une surface d'une plaquette en matériau micro-usinable d'une couche de métal déposé par une technique de dépôt physique en phase vapeur, aussi dénommée par son sigle PVD (pour « Physical Vapor Deposition »). A titre d'exemple, une telle couche inférieure métallique peut être une couche d'aluminium pur de 2 microns. En variante, une telle couche inférieure peut présenter toute autre épaisseur, de préférence comprise entre 0.5 et 5 microns inclus. Alternativement, toute technique de déposition d'un métal pur et/ou d'un alliage peut être utilisée pour revêtir la surface inférieure de la plaquette en matériau micro-usinable par une couche métallique. Préférentiellement, le métal déposé est de l'aluminium, de l'or ou du platine. En complément, il est possible de déposer préalablement une couche d'accroche sur la plaquette en matériau micro-usinable, par exemple en titane ou en chrome, pour améliorer l'adhésion de la couche inférieure métallique. En variante, toute autre technique de déposition ou d'assemblage d'une couche inférieure métallique formant un revêtement sur la surface de la plaquette en matériau micro-usinable peut être utilisée (p.ex. croissance électrolytique, déposition chimique en phase vapeur, collage d'une feuille ...).Thus, this second embodiment comprises a preliminary step, not shown, consisting in depositing or assembling a lower metal layer 24 to a wafer 22 of micro-machinable material, to form the wafer 21. According to a first embodiment, this preliminary step consists in coating a surface of a wafer in micro-machinable material with a layer of metal deposited by a technique of physical vapor deposition, also called by its acronym PVD (for “Physical Vapor Deposition”). By way of example, such a metallic lower layer can be a layer of pure aluminum of 2 microns. As a variant, such a lower layer can have any other thickness, preferably between 0.5 and 5 microns inclusive. Alternatively, any technique for depositing a pure metal and/or an alloy can be used to coat the lower surface of the wafer in micro-machinable material with a metal layer. Preferably, the metal deposited is aluminum, gold or platinum. In addition, it is possible to deposit a bonding layer beforehand on the wafer of micro-machinable material, for example titanium or chromium, to improve the adhesion of the lower metal layer. As a variant, any other technique for depositing or assembling a metallic lower layer forming a coating on the surface of the wafer in micro-machinable material can be used (e.g. electrolytic growth, chemical vapor deposition, bonding of a sheet ...).

Le procédé de fabrication comprend ensuite une étape consistant à ajouter un masque sur la surface supérieure du wafer 21, par l'intermédiaire du dépôt (étape E22, figure 3b) d'une couche de résine 25, dans laquelle des zones libres 26 sont formées (étape E23, figure 3c) par suppression partielle de la résine au moyen de techniques de photolithographie.The manufacturing process then comprises a step consisting in adding a mask to the upper surface of the wafer 21, via the deposition (step E22, figure 3b ) of a layer of resin 25, in which free areas 26 are formed (step E23, figure 3c ) by partial removal of the resist using photolithography techniques.

Le masque formé à l'étape précédente permet ensuite la formation d'au moins un composant horloger, par gravure (étape E24, figure 3d) du wafer 21 au travers des zones libres 26 du masque de résine. Le(s) composant(s) est/sont ainsi formé(s) selon une géométrie déterminée par le masque formé précédemment.The mask formed in the previous step then allows the formation of at least one watch component, by etching (step E24, 3d figure ) of the wafer 21 through the free zones 26 of the resin mask. The component(s) is/are thus formed according to a geometry determined by the mask formed previously.

Enfin, la résine restante est supprimée par dissolution, dans une étape de révélation (étape E25, figure 3e). Les étapes E22 à E25 correspondent sensiblement aux étapes E2 à E5 et E12 à E15.Finally, the remaining resin is removed by dissolving, in a revealing step (step E25, figure 3e ). Steps E22 to E25 substantially correspond to steps E2 to E5 and E12 to E15.

Le procédé selon ce deuxième mode de réalisation comprend ensuite une étape de libération E26 (figure 3f), qui consiste à retirer la couche inférieure 24 métallique. Cette étape de libération E26 est très simple et rapide : elle est réalisée en dissolvant le métal, par exemple dans un bain d'acide de gravure d'aluminium (mélange HNO3, H3PO4, CH3COOH, H2O). La composition du bain doit être adaptée au métal constituant la couche inférieure pour en permettre la dissolution, de manière connue de l'homme de métier. Ainsi, le matériau de la couche inférieure est intégralement dissout. Dans la solution de l'état de la technique rappelée précédemment, seule la couche intermédiaire 3 d'oxyde de silicium est dissoute, la deuxième plaquette 4 inférieure en silicium se séparait ensuite de la plaquette supérieure portant les composants.The method according to this second embodiment then comprises a release step E26 ( figure 3f ), which consists in removing the lower layer 24 of metal. This E26 release step is very simple and quick: it is carried out by dissolving the metal, for example in an aluminum etching acid bath (mixture of HNO3, H3PO4, CH3COOH, H2O). The composition of the bath must be adapted to the metal constituting the lower layer to allow its dissolution, in a manner known to those skilled in the art. Thus, the material of the lower layer is completely dissolved. In the prior art solution mentioned above, only the intermediate layer 3 of silicon oxide is dissolved, the second lower silicon wafer 4 then separates from the upper wafer carrying the components.

Ainsi, ce deuxième mode de réalisation reste de même très simple, puisque la séparation finale du composant horloger 29, par la suppression des résidus de fabrication comme la résine et la couche inférieure, qui se présente comme une couche métallique de support selon un mode de réalisation, comprend une étape de libération E26 grandement simplifiée par rapport au procédé de l'état de la technique qui utilise un support constitué de deux parties dont l'une correspond au matériau du composant, et qui ne peut de ce fait pas être dissoute chimiquement sans avoir préalablement protégé les composants gravés dans la première plaquette par une couche additionnelle.Thus, this second embodiment also remains very simple, since the final separation of the timepiece component 29, by the elimination of manufacturing residues such as the resin and the lower layer, which is presented as a metal support layer according to a mode of realization, comprises a release step E26 greatly simplified compared to the method of the state of the art which uses a support consisting of two parts, one of which corresponds to the material of the component, and which therefore cannot be dissolved chemically without having previously protected the components etched in the first wafer by an additional layer.

Ainsi, le deuxième mode de réalisation décrit ci-dessus permet bien de simplifier fortement le procédé de fabrication d'un composant horloger. Il repose sur l'utilisation d'un support métallique pour une plaquette constituée d'un matériau micro-usinable, et sur la constatation inattendue qu'il est possible de fabriquer un composant horloger à partir d'un wafer comprenant une seule plaquette de matériau micro-usinable et une fine couche inférieure métallique, beaucoup plus fine que le support de l'état de la technique réalisé également en matériau micro-usinable. L'homme du métier aurait eu un préjugé négatif sur une telle solution, considérant notamment que le métal allait diffuser au sein du matériau micro-usinable en modifiant ses propriétés. L'homme du métier aurait également un préjugé négatif sur la faisabilité de ce procédé de fabrication, car les équipements de traitement sont en général conçus pour des wafers d'une certaine rigidité pour assurer la précision et la robustesse.Thus, the second embodiment described above makes it possible to greatly simplify the method of manufacturing a timepiece component. It is based on the use of a metal support for a wafer made of a micro-machinable material, and on the unexpected observation that it is possible to manufacture a watch component from a wafer comprising a single wafer of material micro-machinable and a thin metal bottom layer, much more thin than the support of the state of the art also made of micro-machinable material. The person skilled in the art would have had a negative prejudice on such a solution, considering in particular that the metal would diffuse within the micro-machinable material by modifying its properties. A person skilled in the art would also have a negative prejudice on the feasibility of this manufacturing process, since processing equipment is generally designed for wafers of a certain rigidity to ensure precision and robustness.

En remarque et par rapport au premier mode de réalisation, la couche inférieure métallique utilisée dans ce deuxième mode de réalisation présente en outre les autres avantages suivants :

  • elle sert de couche d'arrêt lors de l'étape de gravure E24, elle permet de protéger le porte-plaquette en évitant qu'il ne soit exposé au bombardement ionique en fin de gravure ;
  • elle évacue la chaleur produite dans les structures lors de la gravure (réaction chimique exothermique + bombardement ionique) ;
  • elle permet aussi d'éviter les défauts qui peuvent apparaître dans certains cas en fond de gravure, souvent dénommés par leur terme anglais de « notching » ;
  • elle protège la face inférieure de la couche en matériau micro-usinable, c'est-à-dire la plaquette, et maintient les composants gravés sur toute leur surface, évitant que les structures flexibles ne se déforment lors du gravage.
As a remark and with respect to the first embodiment, the lower metal layer used in this second embodiment also has the following other advantages:
  • it serves as a stop layer during the etching step E24, it makes it possible to protect the wafer holder by preventing it from being exposed to ion bombardment at the end of etching;
  • it evacuates the heat produced in the structures during the etching (exothermic chemical reaction + ion bombardment);
  • it also makes it possible to avoid the defects which may appear in certain cases at the bottom of the engraving, often referred to by their English term “notching”;
  • it protects the underside of the layer of micro-machinable material, ie the wafer, and holds the etched components over their entire surface, preventing the flexible structures from deforming during etching.

Ce deuxième mode de réalisation a été décrit sur la base d'une couche inférieure en métal. En variante, il est également possible de déposer ou faire croître une couche d'oxyde de silicium SiO2 ou de polymère, par exemple un film polymère de poly-p-xylylène mieux connu sous le nom de parylène, sur la face inférieure de la plaquette en matériau micro-usinable, qui remplit notamment la même fonction de rigidification qu'une couche métallique. L'étape de libération E26 consistera simplement en une dissolution de la couche de SiO2 ou de polymère au moyen d'acides tels que des mélanges à base d'acide flurohydrique ou par traitement plasma oxygène.This second embodiment has been described on the basis of a lower metal layer. As a variant, it is also possible to deposit or grow a layer of silicon oxide SiO 2 or of polymer, for example a polymer film of poly-p-xylylene better known under the name of parylene, on the lower face of the wafer of micro-machinable material, which in particular performs the same stiffening function as a metal layer. The release step E26 will simply consist of a dissolution of the layer of SiO 2 or polymer by means of acids such as mixtures based on hydrofluoric acid or by oxygen plasma treatment.

Finalement, le concept mis en œuvre dans les deux modes de réalisation de l'invention décrits précédemment consiste à proposer un procédé de fabrication d'un composant horloger qui s'affranchit de l'étape de libération d'un support en matériau micro-usinable complexe et chronophage, en évitant d'utiliser un matériau micro-usinable comme support. Autrement dit, la totalité de l'épaisseur du matériau micro-usinable présent dans le wafer est utilisé pour former le composant horloger, sans fonction de support. Il ne comprend donc pas de plaquette de matériau micro-usinable utilisée pour la seule fonction de support : l'unique plaquette de matériau micro-usinable présente au sein du wafer 11, 21 est destinée à la formation d'au moins un composant horloger par gravure. Ainsi, dans les modes de réalisation précédents, le procédé ne comprend pas de gravure de matériau micro-usinable par la face inférieure du wafer pour faciliter l'étape de libération E6, mais uniquement une gravure par la face supérieure. Le composant horloger obtenu présente de préférence une épaisseur maximale correspondant sensiblement à l'épaisseur de l'ensemble du matériau micro-usinable (correspondant à la somme de l'épaisseur de toutes les couches en matériau micro-usinable dans le cas d'une plaquette multicouches) présent initialement dans le wafer servant à sa fabrication.Finally, the concept implemented in the two embodiments of the invention described above consists in proposing a method for manufacturing a watch component which does away with the step of releasing a support made of micro-machinable material. complex and time-consuming, avoiding the use of a micro-machinable material as support. In other words, the entire thickness of the micro-machinable material present in the wafer is used to form the watch component, with no support function. It therefore does not include a wafer of micro-machinable material used solely for the support function: the single wafer of micro-machinable material present within the wafer 11, 21 is intended for the formation of at least one watch component by engraving. Thus, in the previous embodiments, the method does not include etching of micro-machinable material via the lower face of the wafer to facilitate the release step E6, but only etching via the upper face. The watch component obtained preferably has a maximum thickness corresponding substantially to the thickness of the whole of the micro-machinable material (corresponding to the sum of the thickness of all the layers of micro-machinable material in the case of a wafer multilayer) initially present in the wafer used to manufacture it.

En variante, le procédé de fabrication d'un composant horloger peut également comprendre des étapes supplémentaires de traitement, réalisées avant ou après libération du composant de la résine et/ou du support métallique, telles qu'un amincissement de la plaquette de matériau micro-usinable ou du composant, une reprise mécanique ou par faisceau laser, un dépôt de revêtement, un traitement thermique d'oxydation, un nettoyage/dégraissage, etc.As a variant, the process for manufacturing a watch component can also comprise additional processing steps, carried out before or after releasing the component from the resin and/or from the metal support, such as thinning the wafer of micro-material material. machining surface or component, mechanical or laser beam recovery, coating deposition, oxidation heat treatment, cleaning/degreasing, etc.

Bien évidemment, le procédé de l'invention s'applique à la fabrication d'une multitude de composants horlogers. Le composant horloger peut être une entité prête à être montée dans un mouvement (par exemple un levier, un ressort, etc.) ou une pièce destinée à être assemblée à une ou plusieurs autres pièces du mouvement (par exemple un spiral à l'axe de balancier, une planche de roue à son axe, une ancre à la tige (ou axe) d'ancre, un balancier à l'axe de balancier, etc). Alternativement, le composant horloger peut être un composant d'habillage, comme une aiguille. Ce procédé est particulièrement adapté à la fabrication de composants horlogers 2.5D (deux dimensions et demi) simples, d'épaisseur supérieure ou égale à 100 µm. Le deuxième mode de réalisation sera préféré pour les composants les plus fragiles, présentant des structures fines, risquant d'être abimés, ou les plus souples, risquant de se déformer lors de l'étape de gravure, comme les ressorts spiraux ou encore les plus fines, notamment d'épaisseur inférieure à 100 microns. Le premier mode de réalisation sera préféré pour les composants moins fragiles, notamment plus massifs, comme les roues ainsi que pour des composants d'épaisseur strictement supérieure à 100 µm. Toutefois, les deux modes de réalisation restent adaptés pour la fabrication de tous ces composants horlogers.Obviously, the method of the invention applies to the manufacture of a multitude of watch components. The horological component can be an entity ready to be mounted in a movement (for example a lever, a spring, etc.) or a part intended to be assembled with one or more other parts of the movement (for example a hairspring with the balance shaft, a wheel plate with its shaft, an anchor with the anchor rod (or shaft), a balance wheel to the balance shaft, etc.). Alternatively, the timepiece component can be an exterior component, such as a hand. This process is particularly suited to the manufacture of simple 2.5D (two and a half dimensions) watch components, with a thickness greater than or equal to 100 μm. The second embodiment will be preferred for the most fragile components, with fine structures, at risk of being damaged, or the most flexible, at risk of deforming during the etching step, such as spiral springs or even the most thin, in particular with a thickness of less than 100 microns. The first embodiment will be preferred for less fragile components, in particular more massive, such as wheels as well as for components with a thickness strictly greater than 100 μm. However, the two embodiments remain suitable for the manufacture of all these timepiece components.

Dans les exemples de réalisation décrits ci-dessus, la couche déposée qui sert comme masque pour la gravure est réalisée en une résine photosensible. Cette couche en résine photosensible peut être substituée par toute autre couche qui peut servir comme masque contre une attaque de type DRIE, par exemple une couche en oxyde de silicium, nitrure de silicium, métallique, etc. L'homme du métier choisira la couche adaptée pour convenir à ses besoins.In the embodiments described above, the deposited layer which serves as a mask for etching is made of a photosensitive resin. This layer of photosensitive resin can be substituted by any other layer which can serve as a mask against a DRIE type attack, for example a layer of silicon oxide, silicon nitride, metal, etc. The person skilled in the art will choose the appropriate layer to suit his needs.

Dans les modes de réalisation de l'invention décrits précédemment, nous entendons par matériau micro-usinable tout matériau adapté pour le micro-usinage, incluant notamment tout matériau qui peut être gravé de manière directionnelle au travers d'un masque. Nous entendons de plus par micro-usinage l'ensemble des techniques permettant de venir réaliser des structures de taille micrométrique dans un matériau au travers d'un masque, comme par exemple les attaques chimiques ou la photolithographie. Le matériau micro-usinable utilisé dans les exemples de réalisation décrits ci-dessus est le silicium, mais peut être substitué par le silicium dopé, le silicium poreux, etc.... D'autres matériaux micro-usinables pourraient évidemment être utilisés, comme par exemple le diamant, le quartz, le saphir et la céramique. Il peut aussi s'agir d'un matériau hybride. Le matériau micro-usinable peut aussi être tout matériau microstructurable, suffisamment rigide pour pouvoir être manipulé. Ainsi, l'invention convient plus généralement à la fabrication d'un composant horloger constitué de ou comprenant un matériau dit « matériau du composant » qu'on peut découper au travers d'un masque. Avantageusement, ce matériau du composant sera travaillé à partir d'une plaquette d'épaisseur supérieure ou égale à 100 µm, agencée au sein d'un wafer, comme explicité dans les modes de réalisation décrits, ou plus généralement dans un wafer comprenant une couche comprenant un ou plusieurs matériau(x) du composant dont la totalité de l'épaisseur, de préférence supérieure ou égale à 100 µm, sera gravée pour former le composant. De plus, un tel wafer pourra éventuellement comprendre un support dans un autre matériau, notamment un métal ou un alliage métallique, dit matériau du support, différent du matériau du composant et compatible avec lui, c'est-à-dire n'étant pas affecté lors de la gravure du matériau du composant, telle que mise en œuvre dans les étapes de gravure E14, E24 décrites précédemment. Avantageusement, l'épaisseur de l'éventuel support est très faible, inférieure ou égale à 10 µm, voire inférieure ou égale à 5 µm, voire inférieure ou égale 3 µm. De plus, cette épaisseur est de préférence supérieure ou égale à 0,5 µm. Cette épaisseur est donc considérée comme négligeable relativement à l'épaisseur de la plaquette en matériau du composant, du wafer, et du composant horloger fabriqué.In the embodiments of the invention described previously, we mean by micro-machinable material any material suitable for micro-machining, including in particular any material which can be etched directionally through a mask. We also mean by micro-machining all the techniques making it possible to produce structures of micrometric size in a material through a mask, such as for example chemical attacks or photolithography. The micro-machinable material used in the embodiments described above is silicon, but can be substituted by doped silicon, porous silicon, etc.... Others micro-machinable materials could of course be used, such as diamond, quartz, sapphire and ceramic. It can also be a hybrid material. The micro-machinable material can also be any micro-structurable material, sufficiently rigid to be able to be manipulated. Thus, the invention is more generally suitable for the manufacture of a timepiece component consisting of or comprising a material called “component material” which can be cut through a mask. Advantageously, this component material will be worked from a wafer with a thickness greater than or equal to 100 μm, arranged within a wafer, as explained in the embodiments described, or more generally in a wafer comprising a layer comprising one or more material(s) of the component, the entire thickness of which, preferably greater than or equal to 100 μm, will be etched to form the component. In addition, such a wafer may optionally include a support in another material, in particular a metal or a metal alloy, called support material, different from the material of the component and compatible with it, that is to say not being affected during the etching of the material of the component, as implemented in the etching steps E14, E24 described previously. Advantageously, the thickness of any support is very small, less than or equal to 10 μm, or even less than or equal to 5 μm, or even less than or equal to 3 μm. Moreover, this thickness is preferably greater than or equal to 0.5 μm. This thickness is therefore considered to be negligible relative to the thickness of the wafer made of component material, of the wafer, and of the manufactured timepiece component.

Claims (13)

  1. A method of manufacturing a timepiece component (19; 29), characterized in that it comprises the following steps:
    • providing (E11; E21) a wafer (11; 21) comprising a single slice (12; 22) comprising a material of the component, notably silicon, diamond, quartz, sapphire or ceramic, said wafer (11; 21) comprising a thickness approximately equal to the maximum thickness of the timepiece component (19; 29) to be manufactured,
    • optionally first coating the lower surface of said slice (22) with a lower layer (24) of thickness less than or equal to 10 µm
    • etching (E12 to E14; E22 to E24) said slice (12; 22) of the wafer (11; 21) starting from its upper surface to form at least one timepiece component, said step of etching (E12 to E14; E22 to E24) being performed in the full thickness of the slice (12; 22) of the wafer (11; 21), the whole of the material of the component present in the wafer (11 ; 21) being used for forming a timepiece component, without any supporting function ;
    • revealing (E15; E25) at least one timepiece component (19; 29), by removing a layer that served as a mask for etching,
    • and optionally releasing (E26) said slice and the at least one etched clock or watch component by removing the lower layer (24) by its dissolution.
  2. The method of manufacturing a timepiece component (19) as claimed in the preceding claim, characterized in that the step consisting of providing (E11) a wafer (11) consists of providing a wafer (11) consisting of the slice (12) alone in the material of the component.
  3. The method of manufacturing a timepiece component (19) as claimed in the preceding claim, characterized in that said slice (12) comprises a thickness greater than or equal to 100 microns, or even greater than or equal to 120 microns.
  4. The method of manufacturing a timepiece component (29) as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that it comprises a step of coating the lower surface of the slice (22) with a lower layer (24) that is metallic, or of silicon oxide SiO2 or of polymer film.
  5. The method of manufacturing a timepiece component (29) as claimed in the preceding claim, characterized in that the coating step comprises coating the lower surface of the slice (22) with a lower layer (24) of metal, notably of aluminum, gold or platinum, deposited on the slice (22), notably by a technique of physical vapor deposition or of chemical vapor deposition or of electrolytic growth, or assembled on the slice (22).
  6. The method of manufacturing a timepiece component (29) as claimed in one of claims 4 or 5, characterized in that the coating step comprises coating the lower surface of the slice (22) with a lower layer (24) with a thickness less than or equal to 5 µm, or even less than or equal to 3 µm, and/or greater than or equal to 0.5 µm.
  7. The method of manufacturing a timepiece component (29) as claimed in one of claims 4 to 6, characterized in that it comprises a release step (E26) consisting of removing the lower layer (24) of the material of the component from the wafer (22).
  8. The method of manufacturing a timepiece component (29) as claimed in the preceding claim, characterized in that the release step (E26) consists of dissolving the lower layer (24), in a bath of acid or by plasma oxygen treatment.
  9. The method of manufacturing a timepiece component (19; 29) as claimed in one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the slice (12; 22) of the wafer (11; 21) has a thickness less than or equal to 300 microns, or even less than or equal to 500 microns.
  10. The method of manufacturing a timepiece component (19; 29) as claimed in one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises a subsequent step of thermal treatment of oxidation, and/or of cleaning/degreasing of the at least one timepiece component.
  11. The method of manufacturing a timepiece component (19; 29) as claimed in one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises manufacturing an entity for a timepiece movement such as a lever or a spring, a balance spring, a wheel plate, a pallet or a balance wheel, or manufacturing an entity for a cover component such as a hand.
  12. The method of manufacturing a timepiece component (19; 29) as claimed in one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the material of the component comprises silicon, diamond, quartz or ceramic.
  13. The method of manufacturing a timepiece component (19; 29) as claimed in one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the step of etching said slice (12; 22) of the wafer (11; 21) comprises making fasteners allowing temporary holding of at least one etched timepiece component on the slice (12; 22) in which it is etched.
EP17205320.9A 2017-12-05 2017-12-05 Method for manufacturing a clock component Active EP3495894B1 (en)

Priority Applications (4)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
EP17205320.9A EP3495894B1 (en) 2017-12-05 2017-12-05 Method for manufacturing a clock component
US16/202,284 US11429065B2 (en) 2017-12-05 2018-11-28 Method of manufacturing a clock or watch component
JP2018224857A JP7393120B2 (en) 2017-12-05 2018-11-30 Manufacturing method for clocks or small watch parts
CN201811474412.3A CN109870891B (en) 2017-12-05 2018-12-04 Method for manufacturing a part of a clock or watch

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EP17205320.9A EP3495894B1 (en) 2017-12-05 2017-12-05 Method for manufacturing a clock component

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TWI774925B (en) * 2018-03-01 2022-08-21 瑞士商Ｃｓｅｍ瑞士電子及微技術研發公司 Method for manufacturing a spiral spring
EP3786721A1 (en) * 2019-08-29 2021-03-03 ETA SA Manufacture Horlogère Suisse Method for bonding clock components
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CN109870891A (en) 2019-06-11
JP2019132827A (en) 2019-08-08
CN109870891B (en) 2023-05-30
JP7393120B2 (en) 2023-12-06
US20190171164A1 (en) 2019-06-06
US11429065B2 (en) 2022-08-30

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